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Holiday Fundraiser Ideas You Can Get Involved In

Posted on 12/11/2017

The holiday season has officially arrived, and brings with it a time for merriment, cheer and giving. Giving during the holidays is one of the most joyful experiences because you get the chance to share the love of the season. Whether you give to your family, friends or complete strangers—giving can warm you up from the inside out and build a more altruistic life.

Do you want more opportunities to give to your community? We’ve compiled a list of holiday fundraiser ideas to get involved in yourself or along with other altruistic causes.

1. Polar Plunge
Lots of nonprofit organizations and community causes like the Special Olympics will host a famous “Polar Plunge” during the winter months—a time when constituents actually volunteer to swim in freezing cold water. If you’re the adventurous type and want to give back while still getting some fun exercise in, a polar plunge might be the perfect option for you. Or, branch out and see if you can get some friends together to host your own altruistic polar plunge.

2. Goods Selling
Candles, wrapping paper, cookie dough… there’s lots of goodies being sold around the holiday season, and with good purpose! Who doesn’t want their house to smell like pine trees while they drink hot cocoa and watch Christmas movies? If you want to raise some money for your community this season, selling goods is always an excellent choice. It’s simple, easy to do and tends to have a high return on investment.

3. Ugly Sweater Party
Ugly sweater parties are always a crowd favorite during the winter months, so why not host your own? Put an altruistic spin on your ugly sweater party by asking for freewill donations to a cause you care about. Or, try hosting a competition for “ugliest sweater,” where everyone pitches in, and the winner splits the earnings with a local organization.

4. Food Drive
The holidays can definitely be a tough time for some people, especially those who may not be able to provide holiday meals for their families. Get involved with or host a food drive in your community to raise food for neighborhood families in need. Or, try serving at a local shelter and help make someone’s holiday celebration that much more joyful.

5. Caroling
Caroling is a fun way to bring cheer and raise money for others. Get a group of your family or friends together and go caroling around the neighborhood, in retirement homes or at different businesses. Not only will you brighten people’s days, but you can also ask for freewill donations to raise support for a cause you care about.

6. Winter Run
If swimming in the cold isn’t really your thing, maybe running is. Check in your community to see if any nonprofits are hosting a charity winter run. Or, for added fun, host your own! Run off that Thanksgiving turkey just in time for winter and fundraise some extra money for nonprofits in your neighborhood.

7. Seasonal Contest
Finally, what about some good ol’ fashioned competition? Seasonal contests like gingerbread houses or building snowmen are a fun way to get large groups of people involved and raise a significant amount of money. If you want to put on a fundraiser for a cause close to you, seasonal contests are a great way to get started.

This holiday season, live a more altruistic lifestyle by trying out some of these fundraiser ideas you can get involved in. Whether you volunteer with a nonprofit or want to put on your own, fundraising over the holidays is one of the greatest ways to give back.

The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, a program of Children's Aid and Family Services, is a recognized leader in community and school-based education programs about alcohol and drug abuse prevention. Founded in 1979, The Center provides extensive resources, information, expertise and support in understanding and preventing alcohol and drug abuse and advocates for responsive prevention and treatment services. The Center offers evidence-based programs to communities and schools, as well as a full-service resource and referral center. The Center has programs, services and workshops for people of all ages to strengthen families and promote healthy lifestyles. The Center is the official Prevention Resource Center for Bergen County and towns East of the Passaic River in Passaic County.

Heroin: The Silent Epidemic

It has been all over the local news. There has been a dramatic increase in teenagers and young adults using heroin, especially in Bergen County. Below are a series of resources and articles for parents.

Watch the Bergen County Prevention Coalition PSA entitled The voices of Addiction of Bergen County. The video tells the stories of three people who live in Bergen County, New Jersey; a mom whose 21 year-old daughter passed away after overdosing on heroin, a young man incarcerated in the Bergen County jail who was a high school track star and began using painkillers when he broke his arm in several places, and a young woman who began using heroin when she was 17 and is now in a recovery program. Their stories began similarly - drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana were fun things to do and not a big deal or anything that was of great concern. The link between early use and the use of pills and heroin are what followed with each story’s outcome different from the other; with death, incarceration, and recovery.

We want you to know that they are not alone in managing issues related to addiction, there are resources available for help and support. Reach out to The Center for Drug and Alcohol Resources at 201-740-7069 or thecenter@cafsnj.org for more information or to access resources.

Turn in your expired or unused prescriptions for safe disposal.There are many sites throughout Bergen County where you can safely dispose of your expired or used prescriptions. See the link below.

The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources was awarded a contract from the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, to develop the Opioid Overdose Recovery Program in Bergen County. The purpose of the Program is to provide one-on-one assistance in emergency rooms by an individual in long-term recovery to those who have overdosed on opioids and were given Narcan by a law enforcement official, EMT or hospital staff, to end the ‘revolving door’ of cycling in and out of drug overdose situations. OORP can be dispatched 24 hours a day 7 days per week when Narcan is administered.

TCADR Self-Administered Screening Tool

The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources (TCADR) has launched a web-based interactive screening tool designed to provide users with appropriate referrals to addiction treatment services. TCADR Self-Administered Screening Tool guides the user through a short series of questions and, based on the responses, generates two referrals to treatment providers local to Bergen County, New Jersey and its immediate vicinity. While not intended to diagnose a substance abuse problem, the tool utilizes the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Patient Placement Criteria to provide referrals to programs that are appropriate to the user's needs. The ASAM Criteria is the most widely used and comprehensive criteria used for the placement of individuals with alcohol and drug problems. The tool is not designed to take the place of an assessment by an addictions professional, but it will take the guesswork out of where to turn for help.